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Nakobe Dean #17 of the Philadelphia Eagles could leap tot he Cowboys in free agency.
When he wasn’t hurt, the Philadelphia Eagles got wonderful value out of inside linebacker Nakobe Dean in the 4 seasons he played there before agreeing to a 3-year, $36 million free agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday.
While the Eagles won’t likely face Dean anytime soon — and never more than once a year, at that — what would have been difficult to deal with would have been having to see him on a much more regular basis.
Like, for instance, 2 times every year because he was playing for the Dallas Cowboys, which turned out to be a very real possibility on the 1st day of free agency.
“Just talked with someone close to the situation and apparently Dallas was actually very competitive in the Nakobe Dean market,” NFL reporter Jane Slater wrote on her official X account on Monday. “He was one of their 5 Zooms allowed. I’m told their offer was similar to the Raiders, but ultimately, he went with his gut feeling, and was told he could have seen himself in both places, and it was a ’51/49′ margin, but the Raiders won this one. At least it tells you Dallas is trying.”
Dean’s Fate With Eagles Sealed With Injuries
Dean’s future with the Eagles was most likely sealed by injuries that defined 2 of his 4 seasons with the team.
In 2023, a pectoral injury cost Dean 12 games. After a breakout season in 2024 in which he had 128 tackles, Dean tore his patellar tendon in Philadelphia’s playoff opener against the Green Bay Packers and was sidelined as the Eagles rolled to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs. That injury also cost him the first 7 games of the 2025 regular season, although he returned to the lineup and quickly took his starting spot back from rookie 1st round pick Jihaad Campbell.
Before free agency began, ESPN called Dean the “Most Likely” to leave in free agency, where he could be in line for a massive deal from another team.
From ESPN: “(Dean) is a difference-maker when healthy and is a respected leader, but Dean could command $10 million or more per season, and that is probably too costly because of their other talented linebackers. With Zack Baun and last year’s first-round pick Jihaad Campbell set for primary roles, Dean will likely have to realize his value elsewhere.”
Two Major Hurdles for Dean Outside of Injuries
The first problem for Dean coming back was the contract of fellow inside linebacker Zack Baun, who signed a 3-year, $51 million contract with the Eagles following the Super Bowl win. With Dean getting projections even above what he signed with for the Raiders, no NFL team is willing to spend that much on inside linebackers.
The second problem was Campbell, who the Eagles traded up to select in the 1st round (No. 30 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft and signed to a 4-year, $14.9 million contract.
Campbell played in all 17 games as a rookie and started 10 games — mostly when Dean was still recovering from his torn patellar tendon — but played just 1 defensive snap in a home loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Round.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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